Education Should Lead To Perfection

16 May 2002, Summer Course 2002, Brindavan

Published English.

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Sarve sukhino santu Sarve santu niramayah Sarve bhadrani pasyantu Ma kaschit duhkhabhak bhaveth

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THE pray for the welfare and well-being of all the people of the world. This is the foremost principle of Bharathiya culture. The culture of is eternal, everlasting and steadfast. Its glory has remained undiminished through the ravages of time. The students today have forgotten this sacred culture and are consequently facing great problems. They are distancing themselves from peace and bliss. The of yore experienced bliss and shared it with others. Even the people of other countries recognized the greatness of Bharathiya culture and tried to follow the same for the benefit of their respective countries.

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You should become the noble sons of . Strive to reverse the present trend and lead the country on the right path. First of all, transform your heart. Only then can you bring about transformation in others. If you want to be respected, in the first instance you should respect others. Respect all without any difference of caste, religion, etc. understand that the same Atmic principle dwells in all. (the One willed to become many). This is the teaching of the culture of . As people have forgotten this sacred culture, they are unable to earn the love of their own parents.

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What is (culture)? (refinement) is culture. That which purifies is culture. We do not partake of paddy without processing it. We separate the husk and boil the rice before eating it. Refinement is similar. We should refine ourselves by giving up wicked qualities and filling our hearts with purity. Only then can we get strength and happiness. A healthy body will have a healthy mind. Some people have a misconception that the body and the mind are two separate entities. The body cannot exist without the mind.

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(mind is responsible for both bondage and liberation of man).

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Today students are pursuing various types of studies and are acquiring high qualifications. But mere academic qualification will not give you true happiness. Food sustains the body but cannot give bliss. Money provides comforts but cannot ensure bliss. Both the body and the mind are important. How should we maintain our body? How can we purify the mind? Students should clearly understand this. When you have a healthy body and a pure mind, you become a perfect human being. Without this, you are only half man, not a full human. The purpose of education is to mould man into a perfect human being. Modern education lacks this capability. Many feel that they can be happy in life if they have money. But money cannot give you true happiness. It cannot ensure sound health. You have to cultivate virtues if you want real happiness. It is not by (money) but only by (virtue) that one can remain happy and healthy. Modern students are interested only in (wealth), (power) and (friendship) but not in (virtue). What is the use of possessing wealth and power without virtue? One should depend on character and not wholly on wealth, power or friendship. Ancient made this country ideal as they relied on the cultivation of virtues. is a sacred land. One who is devoid of virtues cannot be called a true Bharathiya. Give up bad thoughts. Never utter profane words and never indulge in evil deeds. This is the teaching of the culture of . It lays great emphasis on unity.

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We say, all are our brothers and sisters, but how many are translating this ideal into action? Our actions should be in harmony with our words. Jesus taught, Brotherhood of man and Fatherhood of God. The same truth is professed by the culture of . Sow the seeds of good thoughts, water them with good actions and remove the weeds of wicked qualities. Only then will you reap the crop of bliss.

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Moon is the presiding deity of the mind. Before lifted the bow of in the court of King , ’s mind was not at peace. When went to after her marriage with , one day she confided to Him how the moon of her mind was clouded before lifted the bow. then told that at the time of His birth, thick clouds covered the moon; so, it could not have His at the time of His birth. then promised to the moon that He would add (moon) to His name to make it happy. further told that in His next incarnation in , the moon would be the first to have the of the Lord and to pay salutations to Him. True to the words spoken by Lord , the moon had the good fortune of having the first of when His father was carrying Him across the river . Thus, the moon was the first to do to the Lord in His incarnation as .

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Give up Body Attachment and Experience the Embodiments of Love!

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You may not have any material wealth; it is enough if you have self-confidence and self-respect. Respect everybody. Offer your (salutations) to elders wholeheartedly. What is the inner meaning of ? When you do , you join your palms and bring them close to your heart. The five fingers of each hand symbolize the five (senses of action) and five (senses of perception). These ten senses should follow the dictates of your heart (conscience). That is true . Some people do in a mechanical way. They do not bring their two palms together. They say and lift their hands, as if they are going to hit you. When you do , bring the ten fingers together and keep the two thumbs close to your heart. (Here demonstrated on the stage how should be done by keeping His joined thumbs on His chest.) It means that you are doing it wholeheartedly. Thumb is the most important finger, without which the hand becomes useless.

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This is the way our ancient sages and seers did . They led a sacred life and performed penance without any sense of fear in dense forests amidst wild animals and wicked demons. What was the source of their courage and strength? They had no (body attachment). They had only (attachment to the Self). What was the weapon they carried with them? They carried the weapon of self-confidence with them. That is why they could even tame wild animals like lions and tigers and play with them. They had absolutely no sense of fear. It is from self-confidence that one gets courage. Today man is fear-stricken because he lacks self-confidence. Life has no meaning if one lacks self-confidence. Modern youth do not have faith in the at all. They ask, “Where is the ?” The is everywhere. (see the same in all beings). (with hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouth and ears pervading everything, God permeates the entire universe). Take, for instance, air. It is present everywhere but you can neither see it with your eyes nor catch it in your hands. You cannot deny its existence because you cannot live without it. The same can be said of the too. The is the life principle of all beings. That is why in temples a ritual called (investing life principle) is performed to the idols. You cannot live without the . Who is responsible for your breathing process? It is the .

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The five elements are the very forms of the Divine. This was the teaching of . In the beginning, he visited many noble souls and listened to their teachings. He studied many sacred texts but he was not satisfied. Ultimately, he came to the conclusion that the five elements are the very forms of God. In order to understand divinity, you have to understand the nature of the five elements. You may worship God in the form of idols and derive some satisfaction out of it. There is nothing wrong in idol worship. But understand that God is not confined to idols. He dwells in your heart. Understand the nature of your senses and put them to sacred use. Only then can you attain . understood this truth and attained . His cousin was by his side during his final moments. noticed shedding tears and said, “Why do you have this body attachment? Body is negative, whereas I am positive. This negative has to be given up some day or the other.” Today people are deluded by because they lack . No doubt, you have to take proper care of your body. You have to discharge your duties but do not be unduly attached to the body.

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“The body is made up of five elements and is bound to perish sooner or later, but the indweller has neither birth nor death. He has no attachment whatsoever. Truly speaking, the indweller is verily God Himself who is in the form of the .” (Telugu Poem)

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Sense Control Imparts The body needs to be maintained well in order to carry on our life journey. But do not waste your time by constantly thinking of it and getting attached to it. Without the , the body cannot exist. So, the is the fundamental basis of life. It is a grave mistake to repose faith in the body forgetting the . You should have faith in the Self and make sacred use of your senses. Only then can you cultivate . According to our ancients, connotes beauty of character. Today we find many women bearing the name . As one’s character develops, the splendour of one’s personality increases. Such a person will remain youthful even in advanced age. He will be ever blissful and beautiful. He will be the very embodiment of . This body ( points to his body) is approaching its 77th year. How is it that this body remains youthful and attractive? It is full of due to the purity of my character and sense control. Whoever has sense control will have . You do not find the pictures of or looking old. They were ever young and full of . Today youngsters lack sense control and consequently are ageing very fast. A youth of 16 or 17 today looks like an old man of 60 or 70! Lack of sense control is the cause of their ageing fast. You will have all the physical strength and vigour when you have sense control. Put the senses to proper use and exercise control over them. You will then be endowed with . Be cheerful and smiling. Do not laugh in an artificial manner. Man has no reason to be sad because it is contrary to human nature. Where is the need for him to cry when he has the ever blissful spirit within? Never cry. Always be happy. You should lead an exemplary life and set an ideal to society by helping the poor, the sick and the needy.

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This is the first day of the Summer Course. Understand the purpose behind conducting the Summer Course. You would have wasted a lot of time during these two months of vacation. If you waste your time in futile pursuits, you cannot have sense control. And if your senses are not brought under control, your health as well as your studies will suffer. Make sacred use of your time in this Course. This Summer Course is meant to cultivate virtues in you so that you may attain (strength) and (happiness) and experience (true bliss).

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Nithyanandam, Parama Sukhadam, Kevalam Jnanamurtim, Dwandwateetam, Gagana Sadrisham, Tattwamasyadi Lakshyam, Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam, Achalam, Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam, Bhavateetam, Trigunarahitam

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(you are the embodiment of truth and bliss, you are wisdom absolute, the one without a second, beyond the pair of opposites, expansive and pervasive like the sky, the goal indicated by the , the eternal, pure, unchanging, the witness of all functions of the intellect, beyond all mental conditions and the three of , and ).

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This is your true nature. So, you should always be in a state of bliss. It is possible only when you give up body attachment. One with body consciousness can never attain bliss. However, the body has to be maintained properly. You should not eat as you please. The stomach is like a petrol tank; it should not be overloaded. You should have and (moderate and wholesome food). Take, for instance, ’s example. Many people dine with Me everyday. They are aware of this. For the past one month, I have stopped eating even which was My regular diet. I am taking only one and nothing else. You all can see how blissful I am. Some people may think that is looking weak. It is just a reflection of their feelings. There is no weakness in Me whatsoever. I am very strong. I can walk any distance. If necessary, I can even run. What is the secret of this? My is responsible for this. Many people wonder as to how appears so young and blissful even at this age. How can you expect Me to be otherwise? I have no worry at all. I am always full of bliss. Follow Me. I keep saying, My life is My message. Follow in My footsteps and you will also remain energetic and blissful forever. Lead a happy, healthy and ideal life and serve the nation. Understand that you are born to serve and not to rule over others. Develop the spirit of service and sanctify your lives.

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concluded His Discourse with the , ... (After showering bliss on the participants by the melody of the , further advised the participating students.) Students -Boys and Girls!

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Everyday after the classes are over in the morning, do not waste your time in roaming about. Ruminate on the good things taught to you by the learned speakers. Imprint their teachings on your heart. This is what you are supposed to do in the following fortnight. When these teachings are firmly imprinted on your heart, they will become a part of your being. When brought the message of to the , they told that they wanted and not his message. They told him that the form of was imprinted on their hearts like a picture imprinted on a sheet of paper. It was not possible to separate from their heart. Like the , develop the feeling of oneness with God and say with firm conviction “God and I are one”. Do not waste your time in idle gossip. Observe (silence). Talk less, work more and study more.